Taka Minowa reveals the real reason why he stepped down as head coach of the Akari Chargers

The Akari Chargers were recently dealt a major blow as their star head coach, Taka Minowa stepped down from his role after spending three years in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) and leading the franchise to its most successful stretch in the league.

The husband of Philippine volleyball star Jaja Santiago, Minowa announced his decision on the social networking platform Instagram, while also wishing the Chargers all the best for the future.

However, in a recent media interaction, Minowa revealed the real reason behind his departure from the Akari franchise, confirming that he was blindsided by the management’s decision regarding his future with them, which was “unprofessional.”

“First, the timing aligned with the end of my contract, and I had received offers from club teams in other countries. Since the end of March, I had been asking management to share the next vision for the team by the end of April. However, even after the conference ended, I received no updates, and then suddenly on May 1, I was informed that I was leaving,” Minowa stated.

“I think the owner and new head coach needed time to plan things, which led to this situation – but honestly, it was not handled in a very professional way. Other departing coaches are in similar situations. Since the team’s culture and discipline were finally improving. I was personally very surprised by the owner’s decision,” he added.

Once a Charger, always a Charger. 💖⚡️

We have to say goodbye to this important member of our Akari family, but he will always be an important part of our journey thus far. 💌 pic.twitter.com/yq4XYRAVGe

— Akari Chargers (@AkariChargers) June 1, 2025

The Japanese tactician has taken the departure in his stride and is already looking towards the future but did open up on the one thing he will miss – witnessing the Akari’s growth process.

“I will miss witnessing the team’s growth process. What I will miss the most is witnessing the team’s growth process. Nothing we started was easy, but we definitely achieved progress. In my own plan, we were only at step 5 or 6 out of 10, so not being able to follow that journey every day anymore is something I will truly miss,” Minowa continued.

There is no doubt that Akari made rapid progress under Minowa, as he led the franchise to the finals in his first full conference with them — the best-ever finish in the Chargers’ history. The Japanese tactician followed that up with a bronze-medal finish in the 2025 All-Filipino Conference, giving Akari back-to-back podium finishes.

It remains uncertain what Minowa plans to do next, although given his experience, he will not be short of offers, including that from the Philippine women’s volleyball national team.

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